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Serum ferritin and transferrin receptor concentrations during the transition from adolescence to adulthood in a healthy Swedish population
Author(s) -
Samuelson G,
Lönnerdal B,
Kempe B,
Elverby JE,
Bratteby LE
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2003.tb00460.x
Subject(s) - medicine , transferrin receptor , transferrin , iron status , endocrinology , serum ferritin , ferritin , soluble transferrin receptor , population , young adult , iron deficiency , anemia , environmental health
Aim :As part of a longitudinal nutrition study of adolescents, changes in serum ferritin (s‐Ft), serum transferrin receptors (s‐TfR) and the TfR/Ft ratio from 15 to 21 y of age were studied in randomly selected Swedish adolescents. Methods :Blood samples from 60 males and 66 females were drawn at 15, 17 and 21 y of age. Results :In males, median s‐Ft increased significantly from 33 (μg 1 −1 at 15 y to 96 (μg 1 −1 at 21 y, and in females, after a non‐significant decrease at 17 y, from 27 at 15 y to 34 (μg 1 at 21 y. Between 15 and 17 y, s‐TfR increased significantly, in males from 5.9 to 7.7 p.g 1, and in females from 5.2 to 7.6 μg 1 −1 , whereas s‐TfR decreased significantly in both genders between 17 and 21 y. The log (TfR/Ft) ratio did not change in males between 15 and 17 y, but decreased significantly from 2.2 ± 0.3 to 1.8 ±0.3 by the age of 21 y. In females, the TfR/Ft ratio increased significantly between 15 and 17 y, whereas a significant decrease was found by the age of 21 y. S‐Ft <12 μg 1 −1 at 15, 17 and 21 y was 3, 2 and 2% in males, and in females 18, 26 and 21%, respectively. Conclusion :This study shows an increase in s‐Ft and a decline in s‐TfR in males, indicating increased iron stores. In females, s‐Ft did not increase significantly, whereas s‐TfR and the TfR/ Ft ratio decreased between 17 and 21 y, indicating that cellular iron needs were met.